Nibbler From Futurama Dog Costume

I'm a big fan of dressing my dog up in ridiculous costumes (he loves it, I swear), and the one costume that I felt would be totally appropriate for him is Nibbler from Futurama. With the big eyes, giant mouth, and slobbery tongue, it just seemed like the perfect fit.

The costume is broken into four pieces, which are...

• The Cape
• The Diaper
• The Booties
• The Headband and Eyeball

Step 1: Everything You Need

At each step, I'll list what you need for that particular piece of the costume, but here's everything you'll need all at once for the whole project.

• A dog (presumably yours, but I don't judge)
• Red fabric
• White fabric
• Black fabric
• Yellow felt (or some other fabric that won't fray if un-hemmed)
• Sewing machine (optional if you don't mind sewing by hand)
• Sewing needle
• Thread in colors corresponding to your fabrics
• Pins
• Velcro
• Flexible measuring tape
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Paper or card stock
• Tape
• Pencil
• Scissors
• X-acto knife
• Ping pong ball
• Masking/painter's tape
• Hot glue gun
• Four (4) pipe cleaners
• Black paint
• Paint brush

Step 2: Cape: Making the Pattern

• Dog
• Measuring tape
• Paper or card stock
• Tape
• Pencil
• Scissors

Using a flexible measuring tape, take the following measurements...

1. From the scruff of the neck to just before the butt

2. Circumference around the neck - take half this measurement, plus two (2) inches

3. From the top of the hips to as far down as the thigh as you'd like the cape to fall

You can either draw out the pattern yourself from the measurements you took, or print out the pattern I drew and alter it from there (PDF is provided).

To draw the pattern, first measure and mark the lengths you got for Measurements 1 and 3 at the edges of your paper with a ruler (you will probably need to tape several pieces of paper together to get a sheet big enough). Using your flexible measuring tape, mark and draw a curve for Measurement 2. Make sure it's not a perfect half circle, you don't want this part of the pattern to touch the edge of the paper. Make the width of the curved neck piece about two inches wide, then draw a gently-curving line from there to the bottom of the page to the end of Measurement 3.

When you've got it drawn, cut it out.

Step 3: Cape: Sewing

• Red fabric
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread
• 1.5" velcro strips

Fold the fabric in half, then half again. Placing the straight edge against the second fold, cut out two (2) copies of the cape pattern.

Pin them together. If your fabric has sides, make sure the "right" sides are facing each other.

Refer to the diagram, and sew only the red lines around the edge of the cape. Leave a gap of about 4" at the bottom of the cape.

Using that gap, turn the cape right side out, making sure to push out the corners and the bits on the collar.

Test the fit on your dog, and mark with a pencil where the velco patches need to go, then hand sew them onto the ends of the cape.

Step 4: Cape: Ironing the Hem

• Iron
• Ironing board

Iron the cape to press the seams.

The gap you left at the bottom will be noticeably sticking out. To fix this, fold the exposed edge under until it matches the hem, then press it flat. Flip the cape over and to the same for the other side.

You can stitch it closed if you like, but I just left it alone to avoid any unsightly seams and it holds up just fine.

Step 5: Diaper: Making the Pattern

• Dog
• Measuring tape
• Paper or card stock
• Tape
• Pencil
• Scissors

Using a flexible measuring tape, take the following measurements...

1. From just above the hips, around the butt, through the legs, to the narrowest part of the hips underneath

• If your dog has a tail, mark the location so you can cut a hole

2. From the top of the hips to the start of the belly

3. Width of the belly at the narrowest part

You can either draw out the pattern yourself from the measurements you took, or print out the pattern I drew and alter it from there (PDF is provided).

To make the pattern yourself, first mark the distance you got for Measurement 1 on the edge of your paper (you will probably have to tape a couple sheets together to make it all fit in one piece). Then at the top of the paper, draw a straight line the length of Measurement 2. About three inches from the bottom of your pattern, mark a spot away from the edge that is the distance you got in Measurement 3. Then draw a long line curving like in the image from the top of the pattern to the bottom, making sure it passes through the mark you drew for Measurement 3. The curve doesn't have to be exact, so don't stress over it too much.

After you're done, cut it out.

Step 6: Diaper: Sewing

• White fabric
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread
• Two 2" velcro strips
• Iron
• Ironing board

Fold the fabric in half, then half again. Placing the long edge of the pattern against the second fold of the fabric, cut out two (2) copies of the pattern.

Pin the two pieces together. If the fabric has a "right" side, make sure they're facing each other.

Refer to the diagram and sew along the edges of the fabric as designated by the red lines, leaving a gap at the end of one of the flaps (it doesn't matter which one).

Turn the diaper right side out and iron it flat.

Try it on your dog to make sure it fits, and mark with a pencil where you want to place the velcro patches on the two flaps and on the front of the diaper.

Hand sew the velcro patches onto the diaper.

Step 7: Booties: Making the Pattern

• Dog
• Measuring tape
• Paper or card stock
• Pencil
• Tape
• Scissors

Using a flexible measuring tape, take the following measurements...

1. Circumference of the leg, plus one (1) inch

• If your dog has paws much wider than the circumference of the leg, add space here to make sure the bootie will slide on over the wider paws

2. Width of the widest part of the foot, plus one (1) inch

3. From tip of the toe to below the ankle, plus two (2) inches

You can either draw out the pattern yourself from the measurements you took, or print out the pattern I drew and alter it from there (PDF is provided).

To draw the pattern yourself, draw a straight line the length of Measurement 1. Perpendicular to that, mark out the distance of Measurement 3. Near the bottom, mark the width of Measurement 2, then fill in the curved lines on the sides. Make sure the inward curve doesn't go in too far, you don't want it to be too much narrower than Measurement 2 so the bootie will still slip on over your dog's paw.

NOTE: You might choose not to make the booties at all. I know some dogs hate wearing anything on their feet (mine is apparently one of them, I learned after making this costume), so if you know your dog won't tolerate it, feel free to skip it. The rest of the costume will still look great!

Step 8: Booties: Sewing

• Yellow felt
• Pins
• Sewing machine or needle and thread

Cut out four (4) copies of the pattern.

Pin them together in pairs, and sew them together according to the red lines on the diagram, leaving the top of the bootie open.

Turn the booties right side out, and fold down the cuff of the boot.

Step 9: Headband: Making the Pattern

• Dog
• Measuring tape
• Paper or card stock
• Pencil
• Tape
• Scissors

Using a flexible measuring tape, take the following measurements...

1. Circumference of the head - take half that measurement, plus two (2) inches

2. From forehead above the eyes to just behind the ears

You can either draw out the pattern yourself from the measurements you took, or print out the pattern I drew and alter it from there (PDF is provided).

To draw the pattern yourself, mark Measurements 1 and 2 at the corner of your paper. At the end of Measurement 1, draw a straight line about 2-3" tall. Then draw a sloping curve from the top of Measurement 2 to the previously-drawn line.

When you're done, cut it out.

Step 10: Headband: Sewing

• Black fabric
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Two 2" velcro strips

Fold the fabric in half, then half again. Placing the medium straight edge on the second fold, and the long straight edge on the first fold cut out one (1) copy of the pattern.

Fold the piece in half longways, and sew along the edges according to the red line on the diagram, leaving one short edge open.

Turn the headband right side out, and iron it flat.

Hand sew the velcro patches to both edges of the headband. I had the prickly side stick out beyond the edge of the headband to give me a little more wiggle room with adjusting the size.

Step 11: Headband: Hold the Eyeball

• Ping pong ball
• Masking tape or painter's tape

In order to paint the eyeball, you'll need to be able to get a good grip on it. Tear off two strips of painter's tape or masking tape, about 4" long.

Tape the first piece on one side of the ping pong ball, making sure to keep it below the halfway seam.

On the other side of the ball, tape the second piece the same way.

Pull the long ends down, and twist them together to form a handle. This will let you manage your ping pong ball while painting it without ruining your paint or getting your fingers messy.

Step 12: Headband: Black Eye

• Black acrylic paint
• Paint brush
• Ping pong ball on masking tape handle

Paint one entire half of the ping pong ball black. I had to do two coats to make sure I didn't have any streaks or light patches.

To get smooth edges while painting, hold your paintbrush in place and slowly twist the eyeball, instead of trying to move the paintbrush smoothly.

While it's drying, rest it in something to keep it right side up. I put mine in a shot glass.

Once both coats of black are completely dry, take off the painter's tape and paint a black circle on the other side of the eye for the pupil. I think it looks a little better putting it slightly off-center.

Step 13: Headband: Building the Eye Stalk

• Four pipe cleaners (any color)
• Black fabric
• Hot glue gun

Take four pipe cleaners and twist them together until the twisted part is as long as you'd like your eyeball stalk to be. I made mine roughly five (5) inches (though after taking photos I probably should have made it maybe an inch shorter). A bigger dog might need a longer one, and a smaller dog might need a shorter one.

Wrap the pipe cleaners with a scrap of the same fabric you used for the headband. Using a hot glue gun, glue it in sections, wrapping as you go. Try to keep it as clean as possible, since you don't want dried white chunks of glue crusted on your black fabric.

Step 14: Headband: Attach the Eye Stalk

• Sissors
• Needle and thread

Trim the ends of the eye stalk so they're about two (2) inches long in each direction.

Cut a small slit in just the top layer of the headband (you can make yours way smaller than mine, I was testing some things that didn't work). Stick the ends of the pipe cleaners into the headband going in both directions, then hand sew the gap up over the pipe cleaners. You should be able to get a few stitches through the eye stalk itself to really make sure it stays in place.

Step 15: Headband: Attach the Eyeball

• X-acto knife
• Black paint
• Paint brush

Using your x-acto knife, cut a slit in the back of the eyeball big enough to stick the eye stalk into.

Stick the stalk in the slit. Your ping pong ball will probably cave in a bit when you do this. Push the stalk in further than you need to, then pull it slowly back (but not all the way out!) until the cave-in pops back out.

The tension of the ping pong ball is enough to hold the stalk in place, so you shouldn't need to glue it.

While doing all of this, the paint on the back of the eye around the slit will probably chip. If it does, just dab some extra paint on there to patch it up, and let it dry.

Step 16: The End

Once you're done with everything, it's time to put it all together and try it on. I don't think my dog likes his new costume as much as I do, but he sure looks pretty stinking cute!